St John the Baptist's Church, Chester Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids St John the Baptist's Church, Chester
St John the Baptist's Church, Chester, from the northeast
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OS grid reference	SJ 409,661
Location	Chester, Cheshire
Country	England
Denomination	Church of England
Churchmanship	Anglo-Catholic
Website	Parish of Chester
History
Status	Parish church
Dedication	John the Baptist
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade I
Designated	28 July 1955
Architect(s)	R. C. Hussey, John Douglas
Architectural type	Church
Style	Norman, Gothic, Gothic Revival
Completed	1886
Specifications
Materials	Sandstone
Administration
Parish	Chester, St Peter with St John
Deanery	Chester
Archdeaconry	Chester
Diocese	Chester
Province	York

St John the Baptist's Church in Chester, Cheshire, England, is a very old and important church. It was once the main church, or cathedral, for Chester many centuries ago. The church was first built by the Anglo Saxons in the late 600s.

You can find it just outside Chester's old city walls, sitting on a cliff above the River Dee. Today, it's known as one of the best examples of 11th and 12th-century church design in Cheshire. For a while, from 1075 to 1095, it was even the home of the Bishop of Lichfield.

St John's was Chester's cathedral until 1082. Then, the bishop's main church moved to Coventry. Later, in the 1500s, when many monasteries were closed down, Chester Abbey became the new Chester Cathedral. St John's then became a regular parish church.

During the English Civil War in 1645, soldiers used the church as a base. In the 1800s, the church was carefully repaired and restored. Today, St John the Baptist's Church is still an active church. It's also a special historic building, protected as a Grade I listed building.

A Look Back: The Church's History
Church Design: Inside and Out
- Outside the Church
- Inside the Church
Gallery
Outside the Church Building
See also

A Look Back: The Church's History

St. John's Church yard and remains of the monastery, 1793

People believe that King Aethelred started this church in the year 689. A famous story from 973 tells us about King Edgar of England. After his crowning, he came to Chester. He was rowed up the River Dee to St John's Church by six (or even eight!) other kings. They held an important meeting there.

In the 1000s, a powerful person called Earl Leofric gave a lot of money to the church. In 1075, the bishop moved his main church to St John's, making it a cathedral. But in 1095, the bishop moved his main church again, this time to Coventry. St John's then became a "co-cathedral," meaning it shared the title.

Building work on the church continued for a long time, until the late 1200s. In 1468, the church's central tower fell down.

After the time known as the Dissolution (when many religious buildings were closed), a large part of the church's east end was taken down. Some of these parts are still there today as ruins. Since then, St John's has been a local parish church.

In 1572 and 1574, parts of the northwest tower collapsed again. This destroyed some of the church's main area, called the nave. But it was rebuilt in a grand way. During the siege of Chester in 1645, soldiers used the church as a base. They even used it to fire cannons at the city walls.

Later, in the late 1800s, the church had a big restoration. This was done by architects R. C. Hussey and John Douglas. In 1881, the northwest tower collapsed for a third time while being repaired! It was rebuilt again, and a new bell tower was added in 1886.

Church Design: Inside and Out

Outside the Church

The church is built from sandstone. At the west end, you can still see the ruined first part of the northwest tower. The church has a main area called the nave with side sections called aisles. It also has a clerestory (upper windows) and a north porch. There's a central area called the crossing with north and south transepts (arms of the church). The chancel (the area around the altar) has five sections and its own aisles and chapels.

The north chapel is now used as a vestry (a room for clergy). The south chapel is called the Lady Chapel. Next to the Lady Chapel is a room called the Chapter House.

Inside the Church

St. John's, Chester, England, 1914.

While the outside of the church looks mostly like Early English style (because of the Victorian repairs), much of the inside still has Norman parts. You can see this in the nave, the crossing, and parts of the chancel. Experts say it's some of the best Norman stonework in Cheshire.

Inside, there are many old stone carvings of people, called effigies. Most are damaged, but some are from the late 1200s or early 1300s. There are also two fonts (for baptisms), one from the 1400s and another from the 1600s. Two brass chandeliers are from 1722.

The pulpit (where sermons are given) is from the 1800s. The reredos (a screen behind the altar) was made in 1876 by Morris & Co.. It has a painting of the Last Supper.

The church's organ has an interesting history. It was first built for Queen Victoria's coronation in 1838. Then it was brought to St John's by boat! It has been moved several times within the church and was restored in 2002.

The stained glass in the east window (from 1863) shows the wedding feast at Cana. The west window (from 1887-1890) shows the history of Chester. In the north aisle, you can just barely see an old wall painting of St John the Baptist. The church also has pieces of very old Saxon stone crosses.

Gallery

Nave looking east
The east window, depicting the wedding feast at Cana
The west window, depicting the history of Chester

Outside the Church Building

Ruins of St John's

To the east of the church, you can see ruined parts of old chapels. These ruins are protected as a special historic site.

Many of the old gravestones in the churchyard have been moved. They now form the footpaths around the church. In 2009, a project recorded the words on the remaining gravestones.

Close by, there is also an anchorite cell. This was a small room where a religious person lived a life of prayer, separated from the world.

St John the Baptist's Church, Chester facts for kids

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